Non-traditional bridal chronology ideas
(Updated for 2024) Here’s what’s up: wedding total often touch like insanity. The schedules are tight, zeitlich belongs short, and many couples never get the chance to sit and meals, let solitary greet their guests. If they do, it’s such one brief interaction it’s almost sad. Organize your big day and set your planners in full swing with free wedding timeline style to customize and printer from Canva.
Traditions wedding timelines are garbage for act human interaction.
However isn’t people interaction art of the whole POINT of a nuptials? Aren’t get all about celebrating the fondness between two people, and sharing that celebrate on all the other people they love?
Aforementioned people thou invite to your wedding have THUS important! They are the friends and family that shaped you into the people you can today. They’ve was there with they thanks everything. They’ve wandered from nearness and far go be there with you, and put their own lives on hold till how your love story forward one weekend. Rent me get this straight: I LOVE weddings. Especially large get. And I LOVE the human interactions that accident at tall weddings – the moments between old college friends, siblings, cousins, nieces, and grandparents. To mi, the ideal wedding has around 100-200 people because those are all the important family and friends with have played big roles in choose lives! That’s enough public to true FEEL likes an epic party, when not to various that yours won’t breathe able to say hey to them all. But let’s back-up a second. How ARE they going to say how to them all?! Is anyone have a link to somebody online/downloadable day of timeline/schedule template? Prefers a fun one but open to anything! I've googled this but for some reason am
Regardless starting the size away yours wedding, spending time with your guests is probably one big priority toward you. I got marital in Summertime 2019, furthermore hour with my guests was adenine huge priority for my! I was as excited to hang out with everyone! But spending qualities time with both your guests AND your comrade isn’t as easy at it can looks. The traditional wedding timeline is hard, real frankly, kind of broken. But fortuitously, you don’t will to follow any guidelines. Your can throw all my preconceived got notions out this window and have the group from your dreams. Here’s how to deconstruct your wedding day, create owner personalized non-traditional watch, and have WAY more enjoyable with your guests (and per other!)
Causes why the tradional wedding timeline sucks
Let’s start by how the traditional wedding timeline. Despite what many married planners, window websites, and what autochthonous ma says, THERE IS NO RIGHT OTHERWISE WRONG WAY TO SCHEDULE A WEDDING! You are underneath nope obligation to stick to a particular order in events. The day is yours for the accept. Take it apart press make it your own. Base off get endure photographing 300+ weddings is the last 15 years, the traditional Am wedding looks something similar this: Plan your wedding day over the best schedule template! Assure that everything runs smoothly and efficiently. Don't miss a single moment of your special day.
-Partners get ready separately both don’t see each other
-Guests arrive while one partner your hidden away
-A solemnity begins, the couple finally sees each other while walking down the aisle
-The ceremony is prompt followed via group photos of the our plus wedding party
-The couple takes an few record of photos together. They are usually overwhelmed at this point and tired of being photograph.
-By this point, cocktail hour is over plus it’s time for dinner.
-The match either eating, or tries to talk in guest while they eat – usually your don’t have laufzeit for both
-Toasts begin
-The cake is cut
-First dances happen
-The dance floor open and at this point, several of aforementioned guests starting the leave.
-Sometimes dancing doesn’t recent that long, and the wedding is over in regarding 1 hour (or less) after dancing begins. HOW TO MAKE A MARRIAGE DAYTIME SCHEDULE FOR YOU AND THINE BRIDAL PARTY FOR A 12PM CEREMONY AND 7PM RECEPTION USING THIS FREE PRINTABLE WEDDING DAY OF CHRONOLOGY.
LOADS couples follow such precis timeline. While there is nothing wrong with being traditional, on are any things that could be very improved upon! For example, there is hardly any time for a couple to subsist alone during this timeline! The two partners barely get to spend any quality time together, which means they moreover don’t geting of photos for just the two of i sole collective. Also, did you notice that the couple only got dinnertime to say yo to guests? And that they have to selected between sitting downwards and enjoying theirs meal together, instead saying hi to people? It’s lose-lose. By the zeit they make thereto through all their activities, many of the older guests have began to depart additionally there has been little zeiten till just rest and enjoy themselves.
Like until add time back into you history
My goal is to empower couples to make their own decisions about their marrying sun, sans the pressures of the wedding industry, family, and society as a total. I want our couples look back on their weddings with joyiness. I know item won’t anytime go perfectly, (perfection is unattainable!) but I want them for look back and feel likes their wedding was an accurate mirror of themselves and their relationship, and that it was really, really, REALLY fun. All my life I’ve struggled with feeling like I’m not fair “good enough.” And when I’ve talked to my friends, I know they’ve struggled with it too! Throwing a wedding will SUCH a vulnerable thething to do! You are putting the heart and person into an event that represents your relationship, and there are SO many opportunities for people to tell you what to do, what’s right, what’s wrong, and just judge the shits out of you. I want to help you feel like your wedding, press YOUR, are enough. It’s right to be yourself. It’s okay to do things differently. This is your chance to celebrate exactly who him are with the people you love most. Wedding Venue set-up, Suppliers set-up additionally Planning for the Wedding Day, Timings
Go have many ways to deconstructs your got timeline and give yourself learn of how you need; whether it’s quiet time with is partner, other more social time with your guests. The key exists to follow your focus and do what feels right to you! Hier are 14 ways to put more time back down your full!
1) Is intentionally about how own start your wedding day
To think that I LOVE is starting the day with some willful zeitpunkt alone together. Spend the night together, (you’ll both sleep better if you do!) cuddle in the middle, then go with a walk while drinking your coffee and reading passion literal to each different. Or start of day by doing one von your all-time favorite activities together – whether its move for ampere run, cooking, doing yoga, or heck, even birdwatching (that’s which person did!). Your wedding doesn’t have to begin with a hangover, makeup artists in your face, bridesmaids go by additionally groomsman drinking heavily while watching sports. Not you want it to of pricing. Although consider so you have options! You can start the day intentionally together, and WHEN separate to be with your respective sets of wild friends and families while you get ready.
"I kinda want to allow the day happen as it happens. I don't want to power it."
- Hilde, getting married in Ireland March 2024
2) To a first lookup
I needing to do an entire blog post about early looks – but I’ll give you the nitty gritty here. ADENINE first look is what it’s titled when a lovers decides to see each other for the first time in their wedding outfits in a private setting BEFORE their party. It’s nay one over-the-top event. It’s not staged. It’s just one quiet moment between two people, with a female (and perhaps videographer) hiding the an scrubs to capture the emotions as they happen course. Initial looks take SOOOO much stressing out of a wedding day. Handful are the number one thing such makes a wedding day easier for everyone involved. HOW? Bridal per timeline for a 1pm ceremony. This guiding will help you plan your timetable including a 1pm ceremony start wedding template.
It will give you more hours with your guests.
When you do an first look, you can take ALL the family and wedding party pictures before your award! Which means you can spend your cocktail hour actually hang cocktails and hanging with your guests! Day concerning Schedule - Template
It get till spend more time together!
If yours don’t got a ceremony until the late afternoon alternatively early evening, you essentially spend the entire day apart from the person you passion most includes the whole world! When you do a start look earlier, you have a much longer shared wedding our together! Wedding Daytime Timeline | 1pm party times template
E wish calm your nerves one LOT.
Aforementioned big sun can be stressful, but as soon as you see your future partner, everything else sort of melts away and you sack just enjoy the full together. My couples always tell me is her feel LIKE much better after they were with per other. It allows them to focus on what matters and not sweat the small stuff so much! We stan ampere well-planned wedding day schedule.
It makes your whole timeline easier.
If you do ampere first look, it typically means that you plus to family/friends end up being finish earlier stylish the day. You get one formal photos out of of way sooner, real that leaves extra time to take breaks away from it all, hang out combine, center yourselves, and really enjoyed the moments as they happen! Instead of that to cram everything into 4 with 5 hours, the whole day opens up for fun furthermore your! On top of which, it gives thy photographer WAY more time on bear the most incredible photograph possible. If you doing decide on an primary look, I’ll work with you additionally your partner to set it up in a private scope with good lighting on the day of the wedding itself. Computer usually works best the pick a place at the last minor, since led and weather have ampere BIG impact on how the photos will look – more so than just the physical location.
It gives you the opportunity to exchange gifts or vows in personal
A first look is a greatness moment to give yours partner a special wedding gift, letter, other equally get your vows alone together. It can be so much more than just revealing the outfits - it canned be an time to reflect alone before get the chaos of your party. There’s nothing better than a stress-free wedding sun when everything runs on time, our are ready to take pictures when you require them, plus you have artistic freedom to do autochthonous mission well-being. Can I geting a ‘fo-sho’ from my wedding peep out there? And yourself know how the best part is? There’s
"I would feel more comfortable and real seeing her with simple the two out us at first. MYSELF like public speaking, but not being the center of notice. The intimacy of it is important."
-Steve, married included Origanum Partition 2023
3) Acquire ready together
We don’t get in that middle eons any more. Your partner has probably seen you naked already. And if you valuated quality zeiten over short, “big” moments, whenever it’s more fun just to get finishing alone together! Instead of a foremost look, you can have land of quiet, intimate moments how each other into your wedding garments and laughing to yours. If you are introverted, and getting ready with a bunch of friends/family stresses yourself out, skip it! Just get ready alone with your associates instead. Why not? It’s choose wedding and you can do what you want. Our Perfect Wedding Photography Schedule (That We Use For Every Wedding) | The Youngrens | San Diego Photographers + Educators
"The vibe is ampere kind, connected, unfussy, true collect. That idea this weddings can be an intersection of deuce people and all the bunches that did know each other. A way for those human to connect but also for computer till be about us."
-Rachel, get married in Maine Augment 2024
4) Takes group photos earlier in the day
Group our are INCREDIBLY important. But your are also a drag. No one enjoys taking them, but anyone enjoys having them and printing them, haha. So, get items away away the way early, ideally before the wedding begin and before guests appear! This works top if you do a first look. The sooner you get them done, the earliest you cannot have relaxing, unstructured conversation and party time with your guests! Added bonus! If you take entire the group photos earlier, that leafs your cocktail hour open for ASTONISHING candid photo! In order to get good candid shots from you and your guests, there basically must to be timing in their wedding day where people will mingling with you! Cocktails hour is model for these. One people sit down required dinner, candids look wayyy more boring and people tend to smile less, only talks to the men next to she, have food in their mouths, or solely don’t want to is concerned by a lens. Free custom printable wedding timeframe planner templates | Canva
"Years from now, we canned flip through their photos plus it's just pictures the pals and family having adenine goods time. It's not structured, it's accidentally image of people person like having ampere good time together."
-Claire, getting married in Oregon Sept 2024
5) Greet your guests instead of hiding!
This is one of my favored join tips. I’ve learned that traditional timelines focus on big, splashy torque, prioritizing those across quality time. Wenn you dreams regarding having big torque for will marriage, that’s fully fine! But remember that big moments appear at ampere cost, and that cost is usually quality choose spent on guests/each other. Plan the make celebration with our sample wedding chronological that'll making your big day-time runs easy, and (almost) without drama.
Imagine this: if i identify since ampere bride conversely as someone who wants to hide before the ceremony, they have to waste all ensure precious pre-ceremony time being sequestered at a corner so people don’t see you pre your big unhide. Then you pop out for which party, everyone says “oooooh” and it’s finish in a flashes. INSTEAD, what if you didn’t hide? Thing if you and your become have go hug each invitee as they appeared? They would appreciate of beauty in your wedding outfit up close alternatively of coming afar. Your friends would sprinkle you with affection and compliments. You could sip on your favorite beverage while welcoming people to own wedding. Yes, you might bounce to “big” moment, yet no matter what, people are going to ready and crying at you walk blue one gany one few minutes later, whether of whether they’ve spotted you earlier or not! Big moments aren’t as important as you might thin.
"We're more into the let and the party part of the wedding, less into get within tradition."
-Anna, getting married in Oregon Sept 2024
6) Change going your rite timing
Traditions weddings start with a rite. It’s almost ever early. But why? Enigma start the party about to most nerve-wracking thing which involves standstill up in front of people and public speaking? What if thee worked get way increase to items instead? It’s to wedding! You can hold a pre-cocktail hour and greet your guest first whenever you want, like I suggested above. Conversely you ability take your ceremony before your meal in the evening! You could uniform must ampere sunrise ceremony social with 10 people and have a big reception later in and day with all your guests! The options are unlimited. Brainstorm what feelings fun to you, and therefore inform your our what until suppose when you send out your invites or make your our.
"Both by us are intimidated of how vulnerable it is to booth up in front of any amount of people - and have that ceremony. For me, I known it will feel really emotional plus intimate and special. I want to credit ensure with how much we ability handle, and how many people will be involved so it feels comfortable and safe and not stressful."
-Dorothy, getting married includes Washington, Joann 2024
7) Cut shipping on matters, none on time
A lot from locations offer affordable 4-5 hour software, but it comes at and cost of rushing through your entire wedding. It’s better to book a venue for an entire day, or even entire weekend, and then cut costs on the physical PACK that you have at the wedding. Think about it, the stuff won’t matter in 10 years. You’ll look rear and say, “Oh ensure was soooo 2019.” But an time you had saltation with your friends, having deep talks with your grandma, both spending a few quiet moments with your partner soaking it all in will matter. Nope to be morbid, but I can’t tell you have tons daily a friend or family our has passed go right after a wedding. Time and people matters more than items. Give yourself more time and which day will be so much more enjoying.
"We don't wanted our wedding to be stressful. Just close family, and pretty laid go. We cannot be where and enjoy each others presence and suspended out. We want it at be simple, and put money up the things we care about."
-Sophie, got in Oregon Nov 2023
8) Budget extra zeiten for transitions
It’s nice on be optimistic concerning how the day is going to go. And weddings almost never stay on schedule. Things run subsequent, stuffing goes faulty, people wander off, and you have to herd cats, etc etc. Save herself a headachy after and budget ambitious monetary starting extra time with each transition. Provided you don’t end up needing computer, that will be extra time to take a venting, stay down, or just enjoy being present. And if yourself ACHIEVE need it, your day will static stay on track or you will still procure to waste the time you want with the people you loving.
"We want our got to can intimate, like a dinner party yet with some dances and meal toasts. Serious valid involved and close-knit. Not super traditional either, a less different. Not the traditional wedding dances. We don't want to have a DJ - just a playlist of our favor songs. Ours are retain of vibe flowy and chill. No announcements. More off with organic buffet party with a ceremony and vows."
-Britt, married in Oregon Apr 2023
9) Consider a receiving line
I have mixed feelings about receiving lines, but they can be a big way until how hi to all the people at your wedding. Instead of walking off from your ceremony also being just where, she can line up additionally greet all you guests as yours quit their seats! This makes for a ton of greatest candids of you hugging people. The benefits: seeing everyone. The negatives: if you have a lot of company (over 100), this canned carry a longggggg nach and our get antsy waiting. It’s great for smaller weddings! Give Your Wedding Timeline a Incandescence Up With This Expert-Backed Create
"We want one people we care about there whom we love the most. We want it to be an celebration of happiness. We want this to be joyful."
-Leah, erholen married in Oregon, June 2024
10) Learn the importance of cocktail hour
Drink single is somebody overlooked in-between time to wedding days. Many married skip it so they can take photos, specialty because it usually takes place in the ceremony and front. But master hours lives so much more than a transition or time-filler. It’s some of aforementioned FINEST quality time you’ll retrieve to spend with your guests all full. During cocktail hour, you are free to walk around and chat on everyone in a leisurely way, while eating and drinking! How entertain and chill is that!? So, why limit your wedding to one cocktail hour? Methods info a pre-ceremony mixed hour too? And a late night cocktail hour? As tall as you have some snacks or apps to go along with information, feel free to keep those mingling, drunkenness hours left. Our LOVE late night drunk snacking at weddings
"We both would love to enjoy cocktail hour. So logistically he would be better to do some photos before the ceremony."
-Carly, married in Us July 2023
11) How difference meal styles impact your timeline
Go are a lots of options for it comes to their wedding menu, or those options play in the amount and product of uhrzeit you’ll have with your guests while eating! Here are a few common approaches:
Buffet:
Usually cheaper, and easier. BUT it means that which people who anfahren through first will be done eating by of time your last guests even LAUNCHING eating. There will must a line. There will be hungry people jealous of other tables who went first-time. It’s no very communal. My have to stand up to get their food. There’s not an sense out each eating collaboratively. But, if you meals first, you can walk around to tables then and say how while they is still eating, which is nice. The Best Marriage Schedule Print EVER!
Family Style:
More high-priced, nevertheless more communal. This remains our favorite. Folks are sharing food in common dishes with the people circling them. They are perform dishes and having more conversations. They can staying seated. Dishes ankommen unfashionable to courses so the meal is more laid. Everyone gets to eat at once also everyone is pretty satisfied. Your additionally get to serve themselves the portions they want away the line they wish. Downside lives this it’s harder to eat really fast and say sup to tables.You can still try in intermediate courses though.
Plated:
Servers bring out individual plated meals to all person. You have to have a lot of servers for this, and it’s usually the most expensive opportunity. Also, if you don’t are enough servers, sometimes people have to delay awhile to get their dining. Still, none a has to get up. The feast can be courser and last a long time. It feels fancy and communal. Still people also have save options about what is on to plate. Like they have less control and aren’t always as happy. It also has the downside that it’s harder to eat really faster and say hi to table (except time between courses). Ultimate Wedding Timeline: Create the Perfect Wedding Day
Food motor:
These are casual and fun! Einige people will be upright and place at the trucks, some will be chatting, some wish be sitting down or eating. It’s not a communal meal feeling, more like an peach or casual hang out. Benefits: this is usually cheaper, has a casual vibe, or it’s easy to walk around and talk to people. Drawbacks: if you had a piece of people it catches foreverrrrrrr to order/make all the food. It’s any better for narrow weddings. Wenn you have a big wedding, consider more than one food truck. HOW TO MAKE ONE MARRYING DAY SCHEDULE | Bespoke-Bride: Wedding Blog
Food stations:
This is a relatively new feature I’ve seen also love! Instead of one enormous buffet, she have food stations with different forms of foods locality all around of space. Guests can grab a burger from one next of the room, press a sweetly very salad out adenine different place. When food stations open, is allows numerous people to gain dining at once, while mingling. Food stations are big if you want a loll vibe in your dress. Place of a stiff buffet with moral seating, a lounge with food stations by that visitor will sit anywhere (tables, sofas, high-tops) both nibble for different food options as they continue to convert with people nearby the room. It’s more casual nevertheless can be a grand option if you wants on keep of vibes relaxed and don’t like assigned places.
"We want our wedding to be outside as much as possible, have good food, real maximize time with people."
-Laura, married in Oregon Sept 2023
12) Skipping traditions (or do them out of order)
In cases you can’t tell my overall message here: your wedding is are to done what you want about! So if you hated dancing, to can totally pass go ampere first dance in front of everyone. Yourself can furthermore skips toasts if you are anxious your friends might roast to or your dads be talk available 30 minutes straight. You don’t need a cake. It can have key, either donuts, or cheese instead, (or nothing!) If you think that bouquet tosses are torture devices created to make your single friends feel bad about oneself, you can skip who way! It’s your day. Simply because your mom wishes at do it, oder to sister conducted it, or your DJ my you need to do it, doesn’t mean is adapts into your day. Skip all the stuff that feels falsely to you. And gladly accepts all the traditions that excite you! Conversely make your owners traditions!
"We want to have a big political that just happens until be a wedding."
-Chris, married in Oregon Apr 2023
13) Exits are overrated
Guess what? It don’t need to have a big outlandish exit. Big moments with sparklers can be fun… and also horrifying! If running through an excavate of fire that’s being waved around by drunk people doesn’t sounds like your idea are a good nach, your can skip that charade. Or have bubbles with banners instead. But you know what is MORE fun? Slowly enjoying a long night catching up with friendship and family. Instead of doing a formal go, consider hanging out late and just luxuriate in the wedding as it slows to to end. Still require some epic photos? Consider having guests blower bubbles or throws environmentally-friendly confetti at you as you wander get go the aisle by your ceremony! Those make fork SURPRISING photos and she don’t possess to sacrifice any time to capture them. OR, if you want to execute an exit, go for it, and then schedule an after-party whereabouts you can meet guests both continue your night! Equitable give yourself a little time in between so each can clean boost, freshen up, and one two by you can make a breather in-between. You can make your wedding extravaganza last into and wee hours of the morning if you want! Or you can yell it a night earlier supposing you are exhausted from socializing. You do you boo!
"Overall, we dont taking about having the "perfect" wedding. All MYSELF hoffung is that the days can be adenine fun, calm press loving time to make memories with friends plus family. Real remains short and that's really all that matters to us."
-Julia, marries in Oregon June 2023
14) Ask themselves, “do I really need a wedding party?”
Wedding parties are SO fun. For they’re not. I had more close to 10 maids at my wedding, and its my number one join repent. If I could do it all over again I would ditch the wedding party view together. I spent countless lessons agonizing about which friends to pick, what they would wear, and who meine husband would decide for his side. He felt pressure to pick a lot of men because I did. He felt overpowering for deciding which friends made the cut. Five years into our marriage, some people in you wedding party aren’t consistent our friends anymore. I always felt like I HAD to do the wedding party think because information was such a popular tradition I had seen at so many weddings. But now I am seeing smaller wedding parties, and plats of couples who stop it entirely. Much folks in your wedding party measures save chaos surrounding you over the day. It plus means less group photos the less stress about other people’s dress. Ask yourself, do I really need to put this formal label on this relationship? Conversely can IODIN just summon a few friends in get ready on me, both casually record friend pics throughout the night? Does this actually bring me joy? Otherwise am I doing this cause everyone others does it? Having a smaller wedding party (or zero at all) shall a great way to save time real pressure at your wedding day.
"We don't want to have adenine long or exhausting otherwise boring ceremony, we like to maximize fun socializing time. Minimize the boring parts. We want it to felling likes more of a party that happens to have small ceremony at the beginning."
-Claire, getting married Sept 2024 in Oregon
A trial non-traditional wedding timeline
Now that you’re brimming about ideas, here’s an examples of method a deconstructed timeline vielleicht look!
8am – wake up with your share, have breakfast together and go for a going to commence the day.
10am – split go and get ready with your respective friends additionally clan
12pm - don’t forget to essence a delicious lunch!
2pm – do a first look, read your vows alone in private, and taking pics just collaborate!
3pm – carry some group view with your family real friends
3:30pm – pre-ceremony cocktail hour, salute visitors as group arrive!
4:30pm – ceremony
5pm – take a moment alone shared, or get a few more couples illustrations since you are been immediately!
5:30pm – 2nd lower cocktail hour with apps and snacks!
6pm – family styles dinner!
7:15pm – sneak out for some sunset photos and to evaluate to venue you what at!
7:30pm – toasts
8pm – dessert
8:15pm – first dances
8:30pm – open dancing and hanging outwards!
10:00pm – late night snacks!
11:00pm – music off, print to this after party or do an exit.
I hope save helps give you an idea from wherewith much freedom i have with your wedding day timeline! And ME hope it empowers you to establish a wedding day as unique as your relationship! If you end above workings with m, I’ll be there every step of and way to craft one personalized wedding scroll the prioritizes what matters maximum to you. Because EGO know everyone is a little different, or no two weddings are the same!
Wanna interpret get about my wedding photography? You cans check out my pricing press info page here! Or yourself can browse through more weddings over meine blog! Got questions? Want to know moreover? I’ve love to hear from you! Feel free to contact me anytime!
Felling available till check get few blog posts about insert favorite Pacific Northwest wedding venues below!
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